Wrestling competition prize fund becomes point of contention

A Guelph, Ont. wrestler turned down a shot at training with top pro wrestling talent because she didn't agree with how the prize fund was split among competitors.

A Guelph, Ont. wrestler turned down a shot at training with top pro wrestling talent because she didn't agree with how the prize fund was split among competitors.

Natalie Cicoria, known as Kc Spinelli in the ring, competed in her finals match at the Quebec-based Wrestling Academy 2023.

The finals included three matches – a men's tag team, a men's singles and a women's singles. The winner from each got $10,000 and three months of training at the Nightmare Factory wrestling academy in Atlanta, GA.

The winner from each match is decided ahead of time by the flip of a coin. But what's not pre-determined is who would get the money and training. That's based on their performance in the match.

The outcome of the women's match is where some added drama comes in – unplanned from the original storyline.

Former pro wrestler Jacques Rougeau, who organized this cross-country competition, asked Spinelli and her competitor Kat Von Heez whether they'd be OK with splitting the prize fund.

"And without hesitation, I said no," said Spinelli. "So I said 'Jacques, look, you're already picking two guys. Now with us having to split our win, it's sort of already telling the people that we don't match up.'"